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New FIFA ethics chief Cornel Borbely: I do not take orders from Sepp Blatter

FIFA's new independent ethics chief Cornel Borbely has told Reuters he will not take orders from the organisation after succeeding Michael Garcia.

Borbely, 36, has taken on the role with FIFA's ethics committee after Garcia resigned in December in protest over the handling of his investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.

FIFA was widely criticised after the departure of U.S. lawyer Garcia, and Borbely -- acting chairman of the investigatory chamber of the independent ethics committee since December -- will not allow interference with his work.

The Swiss lawyer rejected suggestions he will act on FIFA president Sepp Blatter's orders, saying: "This is absurd and any such claim is not founded in any facts that I could comprehend or cite. I can only emphasise that I am not an employee of FIFA.

"I run my own law firm and I don't take any orders at all from FIFA -- none whatsoever. I alone decide whether to open, conduct and conclude an investigation and on its result.

"I am completely independent of any FIFA officials. Otherwise I couldn't, and wouldn't, do this job. Nobody interferes -- neither the [FIFA] executive committee nor anybody else.

"My contact to the executive committee is purely professional. Some of these contacts have become public, but it is imperative for my independence that they remain professional, otherwise I could not fulfil my mandate.

"I can't disclose details of how often I have met with Sepp Blatter, but my contacts with him are limited to purely professional encounters. He has no authority to give directives to me."

Borbely, who was previously the head of an economic crimes investigation unit in Zurich as well as a prosecutor for a military tribunal, admits there will be no quick fix in his role.

"It's going to take a lot longer than a few months of good work to show that we are highly professional, but that is our aim," he continued.

"Our work is conducted with a high degree of professionalism, is of high quality and efficient, and I believe we are a credible team.

"I have few illusions that it will be quite some time, especially in these turbulent times, before that is recognised."

Russia and Qatar will remain as hosts of 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.">

Borbely will investigate potential cases regardless of the names involved in a bid to stamp out corruption and will be on the lookout himself, adding: "Every football official is subject to the ethics code. Whoever... breaches it will come into our purview, regardless of hierarchy, rank or position.

"Cases end up on my desk through notifications and tips that I carefully evaluate. But I also have my eyes and ears open and if I see something that calls for it, of course I open a preliminary investigation.

"Everybody can hand in tips or any kind of information via our whistleblower website. Any information will be transferred directly to us, there is no intermediate in between at all."

American lawyer Garcia quit his role a day after the FIFA appeals panel rejected his challenge of German judge and fellow ExCo colleague Hans-Joachim Eckert's summary of his confidential 430-page investigation dossier.

Despite announcing that a version of Garcia's report will be made public, Blatter said that both Russia and Qatar will remain the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, respectively.

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